Australia has climbed two places to sixteenth in the World Economic Forum's Networked Readiness Index. This higher ranking dovetails with consumer perceptions, in line with a survey run on behalf of EY.EY's customer leader Jenny Young said banking and finance were leading the way when it came to consumers' digital usage. "More Australians used the internet for banking and finance than for any other functional activity in 2015, with a third (36 per cent) doing so once a week or more. "This finding highlights how integral the internet has become to banking and finance services. Banking apps, particularly by the major banks, are quickly developing in terms of their functionality and ease of use," Young said.Young said when consumers were asked to rank their 'digital experience' across all key sectors, the results were similar to 2014, with the two main outliers being financial services (improved) and government services (declined). "Regardless of whether the status quo reflects a lack of progress or similar incremental gain across the board, it appears few sectors have delivered true innovation in customer engagement," she said."Consumers' criteria for a 'high quality digital experience' continues to revolve around entry-level factors. Security is at the top of the list, following by basic functionality requirements, such as ease of navigation and the ability to find a product or contact information.